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Ball state's Women and Gender studies Program:
A Transformation in Education
An Honors Thesis (HONRS 499)
by
Allison R. Adams
Thesis Advisor
Dr. Michael stevenson
Ball state university
Muncie, Indiana
April 1993
Expected date of graduation
May 8, 1993
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Abstract
An academic transformation is underway in universities
across the united states in an attempt to integrate women's
experiences into a previously androcentric educational
system.
Ball state university is participating in this
process through its Women and Gender Studies Program.
The
purpose of this thesis is to provide a history of
Women's Studies and to give a synopsis of the goals and
benefits of Women's Studies.
Along with the general
description of Women's studies is a detailed discussion of
Ball State's Women's Studies minor and Women and Gender
Studies Program.
This includes a history of Ball State's
programs as well as an explanation of the Women's Studies
minor and a description of the Women and Gender studies
Program including its resources and sponsored events.
All
of this information is designed to give the programs more
exposure in the hopes of getting more people involved and
helping the programs grow.
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I.
INTRODUCTION
One of the devastating weaknesses of university learning, of
the store of knowledge and opinion that has been handed down
through academic training, has been its almost total erasure
of women's experience and thought from the curriculum, and
its exclusion of women as members of the academic community.
(Rich, 1979, p.232)
Education, especially at the university level, has
traditionally been centered around men with classes about men
being taught by men in order to prepare men to enter the male
dominated professional working world.
Even when universities
became co-educational, they still failed to offer equal
educational opportunities for men and women.
As early as 1968
women first began to document the existence of a sex bias in
education, which led them to develop academic courses to
compensate for the lack of information concerning women in the
current university curriculum (Schmitz, 1985).
Thus, the idea of
women's studies was born, and programs have been developing at
campuses allover the United States ever since.
II.
HISTORY OF WOMEN'S STUDIES
The university is often viewed as a microcosm of society, a
mirrored reflection of America's cultural beliefs and values.
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Therefore, the inequalities and discrimination that abound in
society also permeate the university setting as well.
Courses in
all departments focused largely on men -- their history, their
contributions and accomplishments, and their roles in society.
Women were all but omitted from academics, as subjects and as
sources of information because men determined what would be
taught.
Women's Studies grew out of the women's movement because
feminists began to realize the social and political inequalities
that existed in the academic arena (NWSA-A Report, 1991).
Such
inequalities are inherent in an academic system that revolves
around androcentric views of human behavior, culture, and
society.
The first Women's Studies program was officially approved at
San Diego State University in 1970 (Musil, 1992).
Ten years
later there were 300 programs on campuses all across the United
States.
Today, the number has grown to 621 programs nationwide.
Women's Studies programs can now be found at two-thirds of all
universities, one-half of all four-year colleges, and one-fourth
of all two-year colleges.
Of these programs 102 offer graduate
level studies in Women's studies, and opportunities for full
masters degrees in Women's Studies are available at five
institutions.
Women's Studies continues to grow because it meets the
intellectual needs of women students by taking advantage of the
already existing structure of the university in an attempt to
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transform the present curriculum to involve women's experiences.
Because the original impetus for Women's Studies programs
came from dissatisfaction with the traditional university
curriculum, one of its most predominant goals was to provide
students with objective, in-depth information about women and
their experiences to compensate for the subjective, cursory
information about women that men have chosen to incorporate into
the classroom (Stake & Gerner, 1987).
Its other goal was to
provide information in a more open and supportive atmosphere that
was more student-centered.
These two goals provide the basis for
the main objective of Women's Studies programs:
to promote the
professional and personal growth of students in an attempt to
improve the status of women in society.
Research suggests that Women's Studies programs are reaching
their goals.
For example, Stake and Gerner (1987) found that
both females and males who participated in Women's Studies
programs reported higher self-esteem, motivation, and job
confidence than students who had not been involved in Women's
Studies.
Many universities now include Women's Studies courses in
their general studies requirements (Spaid, 1993).
Thus, a more
diverse body of students are exposed to women's issues at these
universities than they are in universities which offer Women's
Studies courses as electives only.
Some of the strongest Women's
Studies programs are located at large state universities.
Ivy
League schools and private women's colleges began their programs
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later and are not as well-established.
III.
CURRENT STATUS OF WOMEN'S STUDIES
Although Women's Studies continues to grow as a discipline,
it faces criticism and opposition (Musil, 1992).
Established in
an atmosphere in which hostility, suspicion, or at the very least
indifference toward the idea of Women's Studies was quite
prevalent, the founders contended with more than their share of
hardships.
Critics accuse Women's Studies programs of trying to
politicize the university, and they claim that it is ideological,
not scholarly, therefore, it belongs outside of the academic
arena.
Opponents have deemed it "oppression studies" and have
claimed that "it silences everyone who disagrees" (Musil, 1992,
p.4).
They feel that Women's Studies provides students with a
polarized climate in which students are encouraged to participate
in critical thinking that they view as anti-American.
Some
critics do not feel it is necessary for the special interest
group called "women" to have their own discipline of study,
despite the fact that females constitute the majority of the
human race.
Although this opposition is detrimental to the maintenance
and/or advancement of Women's studies, it demonstrates that
Women's studies is being taken seriously and is seen by some as a
force to be reckoned with.
As long as there are critics, Women's
studies will remain alive.
In its third decade, Women's Studies has achieved remarkable
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success despite strong opposition and adversity.
Eight hundred
and eighteen institutions of higher education have at least one
women's program, such as a Women's studies program, a women's
center, or a women's research center (NWSA Directory, 1990).
Women's Studies programs seek to effect changes in curriculum
through feminist scholarship; women's centers direct their
services to students and the community by offering such programs
as career counseling, support groups, and services concerning
sexuality and violence against women; and women's research
centers produce research on women that can have an impact on
university policies and can generate new scholarship in the form
of curriculum transformation, faculty development, and public
programming.
A report by the University of Alabama Women's studies
Program in 1987 found that 47% of all programs consider
themselves to be firmly established, 37% are established but
struggling, 5% are new, and 4% are facing possible elimination
(Johnson, 1988).
In many instances Women's Studies is fighting
an uphill battle just to stay afloat in the midst of a lack of
available staff and financial support.
stress is caused by the
fact that an overwhelming majority (73%) of these programs are
directed by professors who have part-time or even full-time
appointments in other departments.
As a result, the time they
can devote to Women's studies is often quite limited.
Women's studies programs are usually understaffed, often
burdening the faculty, which are primarily women, with higher
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teaching loads than many full-time professors (Subcommittee ... ,
1989).
Because Women's studies has not been widely accepted,
there are some disadvantages for the professors who participate
in the programs; such as, the devaluation of research and limited
career opportunities in the Women's Studies field.
Women's Studies programs are not reaching enough people.
One study (Subcommittee ... , 1989) indicated that almost 50% of
students not involved in Women's Studies were not even aware that
such a program existed.
Not only must this program deal with
underexposure, but also it is forced to contend with large
segments of the university's faculty and students who view
Women's studies as a program with limited value.
Despite these
adversities, the overall perception is optimistic due to the fact
that Women's Studies continues to grow.
Women's Studies programs are generally organized into one of
three forms:
transitional, autonomous, or permanent.
Transitional programs challenge and correct existing inequalities
in other disciplines by incorporating scholarship by and about
women into all other departments, so that eventually there will
be no need for a separate Women's Studies department.
The
autonomous program conducts itself independently, paralleling the
structure used in other programs.
both of the other forms.
The permanent program combines
These Women's Studies programs work to
incorporate women into other departments while at the same time
they conduct research and offer classes as an independent
department.
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Ball state University's Women's studies program is organized
according to the permanent structure.
This means that the
program is meant to remain an independent department while at the
same time be involved with other departments in an attempt to
transform curriculum.
It is not meant to be transitional or
temporary, nor is it meant to remain constant at its present
level.
Instead, it is likely to continue to grow and expand.
A large proportion of faculty and students view Women's
Studies as merely a fad, something with limited value, that
should simply be ignored; but those who have been exposed to the
programs usually have an entirely different, much more positive,
opinion (Johnson, 1988).
The Association of American colleges
conducted a three-year study entitled The courage to Question:
Women's Studies and Student Learning (Musil, 1992).
This 213-
page report assessed hundreds of faculty and thousands of
students on seven college campuses throughout the united States.
The results show the tremendous, often far-reaching, benefits
that Women's Studies offers students, faculty, the community, and
society as a whole.
The overall opinion was that Women's Studies provides
students with a sense of empowerment that comes from giving them
a voice of their own, a sense of self.
It fosters an atmosphere
of critical thinking in which students are transformed from being
the objects of study to subjects with their own voices.
After
taking Women's Studies courses, the majority of students felt
that they had developed a sense of self and said that they were
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made to feel as if they had something valuable to contribute to
class as well as to society.
Some of the ways in which this goal
is accomplished are through structuring opportunities so that
each person has a chance to talk, relinquishing control by
instructors, and emphasizing student-led, collaborative
assignments.
In this way students are not only encouraged to
speak openly and freely but are provided with ample opportunities
to do so.
Courses in Women's Studies are designed to increase
awareness and acceptance of difference and diversity.
Multi-
cultural issues such as gender, race, sexual orientation,
religion, and class, are addressed more often than in other
disciplines.
Due in part to the fact that Women's studies is
interdisciplinary, feminists have a greater understanding of, as
well as a greater respect for, diversity because feminist
scholarship, or Women's Studies, has its intellectual roots in
the contrast between females and the dominant male society.
As a
result, Women's Studies programs aim to help students function in
a multi-cultural, pluralistic world.
Women's Studies courses engage students intellectually and
attempt to make education more than a collection of courses but a
way of life.
The courses seek to challenge stUdents to re-
examine what they have previously learned using the socially
constructed concept of gender as the tool of analysis and by
adding women's 'lives, culture, and history to an academic
curriculum that has previously ignored these issues.
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Not only do Women's studies courses affect the students'
academic experiences, they also have the potential for lifelong
impact because they foster social responsibility and motivate
students to actively shape society.
As students progress
through Women's studies courses progress, they move from finding
their own voices to feeling a sense of empowerment to an eventual
sense of social duty.
An examination of course evaluations at
Wellesley College (Musil, 1992) showed that students who were not
exposed to Women's Studies courses answered the questions in more
instrumental, narrow ways and emphasized the importance of
functioning smoothly in the world.
On the other hand, Women's
Studies students spoke of future commitments to social reform
through community and political action in the hopes of effecting
change in the world.
In essence, Women's Studies does much more for students than
simply providing them with facts and figures:
education in life.
it offers an
It challenges people to, if not resolve, then
at least find a way to live with the contradictions and
uncertainties that pervade today's society.
As one student from
Wellesley College described it, Women's Studies is "learning that
does more than fill your brain.
your heart,
It fills your body, it fills
[and] it makes you grow" (Musil, 1992, p. 1).
The Women's Studies learning process is more personalized
than courses in other departments in part because it attempts to
link intellectual knowledge with experiential knowledge.
The
courses are organized to be more student-centered by encouraging
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an atmosphere of exchange, collaboration, and community.
Often
this is aided by placing the classroom chairs in a circle and
allowing the students to discuss topics with each other rather
than being forced to always address the professor.
In this way
the instructor relinquishes some of his/her power and authority
in order to give more power and self-confidence to the students.
Thus, the faculty member becomes a learner as well as a source of
expertise.
Oftentimes Women's studies courses are perceived as
more difficult than other courses because the students are
required to question what they think and feel, to incorporate
this new thinking into their lives, and to take responsibility
for their own learning.
Women's studies courses differ from courses in other
disciplines not only in pedagogy but also in the content of the
curriculum.
Due to its virtual non-existence in high school
curriculums, students generally enter Women's Studies courses
without prior knowledge or with some misconceptions.
Although
there is no universally set Women's Studies curriculum, there are
some basic similarities, especially in the introductory courses.
"The content of Women's Studies gives students detailed pictures
where there was formerly a blank canvas; a critical framework
where there was feigned neutrality; and a language to describe
what had been nameless and invisible" (Musil, 1992, p.4).
Some
of the most widely accepted topics in introductory courses are
identity formation, cultural representation, work, family,
sexuality, violence, class stratification, and racial and
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cultural diversity.
Women's Studies courses are multi-faceted, yet they all
strive to provide an environment in which students feel free to
express differing viewpoints and opinions.
The aim is to focus
on participation, experience, and empowerment in an attempt to
help students undergo a personal transformation as they continue
to acquire knowledge.
They are taught to produce as well as
reproduce knowledge and to question not only the answers but also
the questions.
Eventually, students may learn to validate their
inner voices and to respect the voices of diversity and change.
The responsibility and goal of Women's studies courses is twofold:
to provide students with a safe place to nurture their
inner voices and at the same time to create discomfort and
introduce risk so that students will explore issues and
assumptions that remain unexamined.
Although this is a difficult
task to undertake, the programs continue to be successful.
IV.
BALL STATE UNIVERSITY'S WOMEN'S STUDIES PROGRAM
The informal inception of the Women's Studies Committee at
Ball state University was in 1974.
In 1975, the Committee was
given official status by the Vice President and Dean of Faculties
Richard W. Burkhardt with the responsibility of developing a
Women's Studies Program.
served as the first chair.
Althea stoeckel, Professor of History,
Along with Stoeckel, the original
members of the committee were Enye Flores-Meiser (Anthropology),
Donald Goertz (Foreign Language), John Hannaford (Economics),
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Sharon Hannum Seager (History), and Dorothy Rudoni (Political
Science) .
The first Women's Studies course was the Introduction to
Women's Studies (ID 210), an interdisciplinary course created in
1971 by Betty Newcomb from the English department and Sharon
Seager from the History department.
It was first available to
students in the spring of 1972 and was team-taught by its
creators and Sociology Professor Marie Vogel.
In 1974 Women's Studies courses were added to the
curriculum, and an ad-hoc committee was appointed by then-Dean
Richard Burkhardt with the task of developing sound, thorough,
and professional Women's Studies courses.
Departments then began
creating courses in Women's Studies, including culture and Women
(ANTH 350), Women in Politics (POLS 474), and Women of Ancient
Greece and Rome (CC 266).
By 1976 Ball State University offered
seven courses in Women's Studies.
In 1977 the number of courses
increased to 12, and plans were initiated for an undergraduate
minor.
Final approval was received in December of 1980, and
Women's studies was officially declared a minor at Ball State in
1981.
At this time the Women's Studies Committee was composed of
faculty and students who were interested and involved in
promoting the academic study of women.
The members were
appointed by the Provost upon recommendations from the
committee's chair and officers, and they represented a wide
variety of university departments.
Each member served a three-
15
year term with the option of being re-appointed.
The goals of
the committee were to facilitate communication between interested
persons in the university as well as between the university and
the community and to supervise, develop, and promote Ball state's
Women's Studies program.
Other duties undertaken by the
committee included counseling interested persons about the
program, reviewing funding allocations, and electing officers.
Ball state's Women's Studies program includes an
interdisciplinary minor that has been designed to offer students
the opportunity to study the experiences of women, emphasizing
the image, role, and reality of females especially in Western
tradition but also touching on the experiences of women in other
cultures.
Its courses focus on the theories and methodologies of
the discipline while attending to such pivotal issues as gender,
sexuality, sexual orientation, age, race, class, ethnicity, and
religious diversity.
Students are made aware of changing trends and issues
related to gender roles and stereotypes by exploring the roots of
sexist beliefs and practices in society.
students in
el~minating
The goal is to assist
the distorted views of women that are
prevalent in society as well as to help them learn more about
themselves, including the challenge of being a female and the
independence and responsibilities that go along with it.
It is
also hoped that students will develop a better sense of self and
a higher feeling of self-confidence that will accompany them
outside of the classroom and beyond their college years.
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Although the minor was designed for students from all walks
of life, it will be most beneficial to the section of the student
body whose numbers are continuing to rise:
women in preparation
for entering professional fields from which they have previously
been excluded and older women who are re-entering the university.
It is hoped that students in Women's studies courses will learn
critical thinking, skillful analysis, research-reference
abilities, and talented writing skills to express their ideas.
Overall, students should walk away from their experiences in the
Women's Studies program with a much better sense of themselves
and the society in which they live along with an understanding of
the cultural patterns and societal forces that have created and
shaped today's world.
The Women's Studies minor requires 18 hours of course work,
including a three hour introductory course (WMNST 210) and 15
hours of electives drawn from a variety of departments; such as,
Anthropology, Criminal Justice, English, History, Health Science,
Psychology, Political Science, and Sociology.
It is expected
that six to nine hours come from Humanities and six to nine from
the Social Sciences.
The WMNST 210 course is designed to
introduce students to the methodologies and philosophies of
feminist scholarship and to provide them with a framework for the
issues concerning women in society by drawing from all different
disciplines.
Also available are the Women's studies mentorship,
a paid internship, a special topics course, and an independent
study.
Because the university does not hire professors
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specifically for Women's studies, the types of courses and the
number of courses that are offered depend entirely upon the
willingness of other departments to allow their faculty to teach
Women's Studies courses.
The Mentorship (WMNST 370) involves one to three credits of
voluntary participation in an organization, agency, corporation,
or business that provides students with work-related experience
and a context in which to apply the knowledge they have gained
throughout the courses.
Each semester, several students are
chosen to be mentees in the Women and Gender Studies office under
the supervision of the Women and Gender Studies director.
This
usually requires four to six hours per week in the office, with
duties including typing, filing, answering the telephone, and
other basic clerical work.
In addition they are responsible for
planning, advertising, and promoting the events sponsored by the
Women and Gender studies Program, such as the lecture series and
Women's Week.
Along with these duties and responsibilities, the
students are required to choose a particular project they wish to
accomplish during their mentorship.
Another option is the Paid Internship (WMNST 369), which
allows students to earn from one to six hours of credit.
This
resembles the mentorship in that it provides students with
valuable work experience by integrating the knowledge of Women's
Studies that they have acquired with actual experience.
The
difference is that the student performs supervised duties in a
paid setting, rather than a volunteer setting.
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A total of six credits, no more than three per semester, may
be earned through the special Topics (WMNST 400) course, which
provides students with information on gender-related topics that
are not covered in other courses.
The content of the courses
changes, and topics are announced in advance.
Finally, the Independent study (WMNST 498) involves one to
three hours of credit.
This option allows the student to choose
a topic and to research and study that topic under the guidance
of a professor who has special expertise in the particular area.
students may accumulate these hours over a period of more than
one semester.
V.
BALL STATE UNIVERSITY'S WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES PROGRAM
In addition to the Women's Studies minor, the Women and
Gender Studi.es Program sponsors a wide variety of campus events
throughout tche year.
The office, located in North Quadrangle
113, providE!S students and faculty with many valuable resources.
It is directed by a member of the faculty and is staffed by
students who receive credit for their work.
For the 1992-1993
academic year, the program received $4,500.00 for supplies and
expenses and $1,634.00 for student help.
Donations from external
sources are handled through the Ball State university Foundation.
The Women and Gender Studies Program adopted a new
administrative structure in 1989 that replaced the original
Women's Studies committee.
At the basis of the program is a the
Program Committee, which consists of 12 to 15 members who are
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selected from Ball state faculty, professional personnel, and
students representing various departments.
This committee is
responsible for electing the director and the Policy Committee,
and its members make the final decisions regarding curriculum,
fundraising, personnel, and budget matters.
Members of the
Program Committee serve three-year terms and may serve
consecutive terms.
They are nominated by Friends of the Program
and then must be approved by the existing members of the Program
Committee.
Three members of the Program Committee comprise the policy
Committee, which is responsible for developing the Women's
Studies curriculum and for planning events.
They may also
generate policies that are subject to approval by the Program
Committee.
The members also collaborate with the Office of
Research regarding applications for outside funding as well as
with the library concerning collection development.
The director, who is elected to a three-year term, is a
member of both the Program Committee and the Policy Committee
and reports to the Assistant Provost and the Dean of Sciences and
Humanities.
His/her duties include initiating projects and
programs concerning women and gender, coordinating the Women's
Studies curriculum as well as developing new Women's Studies
courses, searching for funds and grants, working with community
organizations, and managing the Women and Gender Studies office
and staff.
Along with these duties, the director is responsible
for convening and chairing the Program Committee, which oversees
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the entire program.
All of these duties and responsibilities are
a combined effort to fulfill the educational, programmatic, and
administrative policies developed by the Program committee for
the Women and Gender studies Program.
Friends of the Program are any individuals who would like to
support the Women and Gender studies Program.
This includes
faculty members, professional and classified personnel, students,
and members of the community.
Friends of the Program receive
periodic mailings from the director and also have two regularly
scheduled meetings each academic year.
The Women and Gender Studies Program also has three standing
committees:
Curriculum Committee, Events Committee, and Women's
Week Committee.
The Curriculum Committee is responsible for
developing and evaluating the Women's studies courses.
The
Events Committee plans special events such as lectures, films,
cultural activities, conferences, newsletters, and receptions.
Finally, the Women's Week Committee is responsible for the
activities that take place during Women's Week.
The Women and Gender Studies office provides Ball State
faculty and students with several valuable resources.
One of
which is the graduate school information file available for
anyone interested in Women's Studies graduate programs at other
universities.
Each school that offers graduate school
opportunities pertaining to Women's Studies has its own file with
information concerning its programs, courses, and degrees.
As of
1988, there were over 80 such programs available at universities
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scattered throughout the united states.
The office also has
information from other colleges and universities about
undergraduate majors and minors in Women's Studies.
Another valuable resource available is the Women and Gender
Studies library, which is stocked with books, journals,
magazines, and textbooks on topics related to women and gender.
Most of these resources may be checked out by faculty and
students.
All ·of the materials are organized and on a
computerized card catalog system so that they are readily
accessible.
A list of items, along with a short abstract, is
available to facilitate research.
Most of the materials were
acquired through donations, and the collection continues to
expand.
This is a valuable resource because it consolidates
information about women and gender at one specific site.
Further
information can be obtained through a guide to library research
which details the available resources and describes how to do
Women's and Gender Studies research.
The Women and Gender studies office also provides referrals
for people, especially women, in need of help.
Even though the
staff is not trained to handle crises such as sexual assault and
rape, sexual harassment/discrimination, domestic violence,
pregnancy, eating disorders, and psychological problems, they are
prepared with a handbook of emergency services that can provide
the needed services.
"The Purple Sheet" is a monthly newsletter that is written
and distributed by the Women and Gender Studies Program.
It
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provides students, faculty, and the public with information
regarding the program and includes a list of upcoming events
sponsored by the Women and Gender Studies Program as well as
other area events that concern women or gender-related issues.
It also informs faculty and staff of calls for papers and
proposals, conferences, and career opportunities in the field of
Women's Studies.
The idea of beginning a Women's center at Ball State has
been on the agenda of the Events committee for several years,
however a lack of funds and available staff has produced little
progress.
If developed, a Women's center could house the Women
and Gender Studies office and provide space for many other
programs and services.
Some of the possibilities are
psychological counseling center programs, films and lectures for
women, self-help resources, a more complete library/resource
center, and a women's health clinic.
It would also be a place in
which members of the Ball State campus and members of the
surrounding community can interact.
During the 1987-1988 academic year, the Women and Gender
Studies Program initiated the Women's studies Lecture Series,
under the direction of Dr. Irene Goldman, Professor of English.
six lectures by Ball State faculty and staff are now given each
year on a myriad of topics ranging from the social sciences to
journalism to English and literature to home economics to art and
music.
In addition to the Lecture Series, the Women and Gender
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Studies Program sponsors several other lectures each year.
For
instance, Marion Wagner, the President of the Indiana Chapter of
the National Organization of Women (NOW), spoke to students about
women's issues"
Other prominent speakers that have been
sponsored by the Women and Gender Studies Program are Mary Kay
Blakely, award-winning columnist and author who spoke on "Women's
Humor"; Althea Grant, Director of the Rape Counseling Center of
the Detroit Police Department; and Jane Brody, New York Times
health columnist.
Gwendolyn Brooks, well-known writer and poet
who was the first black writer to win the Pulitzer Prize, spoke
to students and gave a poetry reading as well as provided a
workshop to help students who were interested in becoming
writers.
Mary Elizabeth Murdock is the Director of the smith
Collection at smith College, which is one of the finest women's
history collections.
She spoke as an authority on women in the
nineteenth century social reform movement in the United states.
The Women and Gender Studies Program also provides Ball
State with many different programs and events each year.
During the 1987-88 academic year, the Women and Gender Studies
Program sponsored "Women in Business and Professions," which was
a series of four programs that addressed the various issues that
females encounter in the business and professional world.
The
final lecture in this series was given by Ms. Jane Brody, who is
an author and columnist for the New York Times.
A symposium entitled "Gender Roles Through the Life Span,"
took place on October 14 and 15, 1988, on the Ball State campus.
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Funded by a grant from the Ball state University Foundation and
under the direction of Michael R. stevenson (Psychological
science and Women and Gender Studies), the symposium was a joint
project sponsored by the Psychological Science department and the
Women and Gender studies Program.
It was designed to provide
information on the development and influence of gender roles
throughout four life phases:
and aging.
childhood, adolescence, adulthood,
Nationally recognized experts, representing such
disciplines as psychology, sociology, anthropology, literature,
education, and human development discussed a wide range of topics
including language, sexuality, interpersonal relationships, and
gender in the workplace.
Another important event sponsored by the Women and Gender
Studies Program was the Midwestern Society for Feminist Studies
Second Biennial Meeting, which was held at Ball State on May 1113, 1989.
This three-day conference covered such topics as
feminism and religion, men in feminism, sexuality, women and
careers, women in academics, and a woman's place in a man's
world.
Contributing speakers came from many outside
organizations and universities including some from Ball State.
The keynote address was given by Virginia Sapiro, Professor of
Political Science and Women's Studies at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, who is well known for her widely used Women's
Studies textbook.
A new program was initiated in the 1992-1993 academic year
entitled "Feed Your Mind:
Lunch On Books."
Four book talks were
25
held during the noon hour, and students were encouraged to bring
a lunch and gather together for an informal discussion of books
by or about women.
Discussions were facilitated by Ball state
faculty who had a particular interest in the subjects of the
books being discussed.
Two of the topics included menopause and
detective novels.
Also in 1993, the Women and Gender studies Program cosponsored a panel discussion entitled "Why Fear Feminism?", in
which several self-proclaimed feminists addressed the reasons so
many people are fearful of feminism and are leery of calling
themselves feminists.
Panelists included Ball state students and
faculty as well as Sue Errington, a prominent member of the
Muncie community.
One of the biggest annual projects sponsored by the Women
and Gender studies program is Women's Week, which is five days of
programs that recognize and celebrate women.
The events range
from lectures and panel discussions to films, workshops and other
special programs.
The week is designed to give people the
opportunity to learn about women--their experiences, their trials
and tribulations, and their triumphs.
President John Worthen officially declared April 14 - 21,
1988, as Women '·s Studies Week because he recognized the program's
importance and Ball State's responsibility to meet the
intellectual needs of both its male and female students.
He felt
it was an attempt to further Ball State's goal of creating a
society in which there is equal opportunity, regardless of
26
gender.
Women's Week is coordinated by the Women and Gender studies
Program in conj,unction with various other university departments
and organizations.
The events are largely planned by students
and the Women's Week committee.
Many of the Women's Week
programs feature Ball state faculty from a wide variety of
departments.
The events in the past have covered such topics as
health, history, architecture, psychology, politics, sexuality,
abortion, rape, domestic violence, law, feminism, sexual
harassment, and gender equality.
Along with the Ball state faculty, Women and Gender studies
has brought in several well-known, influential women to speak
during Women's Week.
Among some of the most prominent have been
Betty Friedan, noted feminist and author of The Feminist
Mystique; Irene Natividad, Executive Director of the National
Women's Political Caucus; Anna Quindlen, New York Times
columnist; Barbara Boyd, Channel 6 news broadcaster; Susan Bayh,
Indiana's First Lady and staff attorney with Eli Lilly and
Company; Judy Collins, professional singer; and Molly Ivins,
columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
VI.
BALL STATE STUDENT AND FACULTY OPINIONS
A survey was given to 52 Ball state students, approximately
half female and half male, of various majors (See Appendix A).
These surveys were given to stUdents in several different classes
27
as well as to students living in a residence hall in an attempt
to determine students' opinions of the Women and Gender Studies
program and the Women's Studies minor.
Students were asked to
describe their awareness, inVOlvement, and feelings concerning
the programs.
Most (63%) of the students were aware of Ball State's Women
and Gender Studies Program although only 25% actually knew where
the office is located.
Although more than half of those surveyed
knew about the program, a very small minority (23%) were able to
name any of the programs or events the Women and Gender studies
Program has sponsored, and an even smaller percentage (3%) had
taken advant.age of the programs and/or services provided by the
Women and Gender studies Program.
One positive point was that
all of the students who had participated in one of the programs
felt that they had benefitted in one way or another.
These
results show that the Women and Gender studies Program is not
reaching a large number of students at the present time, but that
it has been helpful to those who take advantage of it.
Although some students (36%) were aware that Ball State
offers a minor in Women's Studies, very few of the students (4%)
had taken a Women's Studies course.
Only 27% said that they knew
someone who is a minor or who is affiliated with Women and Gender
Studies.
These results suggest that the Women and Gender Studies
Program and the Women's Studies minor at Ball State have not
received sufficient exposure and are not reaching the majority of
students.
28
As a re.flection of students' lack of knowledge concerning
the Women and Gender Studies Program, almost half (47%) of the
respondents answered the question "What does Women and Gender
Studies mean to you?" by either leaving it blank or by responding
with "nothing" or "I don't know."
Some students even stated that
it is not relevant to them or to their education.
In contrast,
several responses were very insightful and supportive.
Students
defined the program as one which provides equal recognition to
both genders, educates people about women's contributions to
society, discusses the role of women in society, and helps women
discover their equal rights.
One student described the Women and
Gender Studies Program as "a means of giving more emphasis to an
area of study that has long gone unnoticed."
One fact that was
revealed by these answers is that students do not distinguish
between the Women and Gender Studies Program and the Women's
Studies minor even though they are two separate entities.
This
was evident from the responses of many students who described the
Women and Gender Studies Program in terms of academics and course
content, emphasizing the minor rather than the programs offered
by the Women and Gender studies Program.
Generally, the program has the support of students with 84%
in favor of Ball State having a Women and Gender Studies Program,
6% neutral, and only 1% opposed.
Thus, the Ball State campus
seems to have an atmosphere that is likely to allow and possibly
even assist the growth of the Women and Gender Studies Program,
so that it may have an even greater impact on students, faculty,
29
and community members in the future.
Responses from Women's studies minors, who were given a
questionnaire concerning Women's studies courses and their
experiences in them, were all very positive (See Appendix B).
Overall, students felt that Women's Studies courses provided them
with a safe atmosphere in which they felt free to speak their
minds and to share their ideas.
They also praised Women's
Studies courses for their recognition of and respect for
diversity and minorities.
Classes were said to be challenging
and motivating to students, not only academically but also
personally and socially.
One student who said that she does not
usually get socially involved, credited her Women's Studies
experiences with the fact that she joined a feminist organization
on campus.
Other students said that the courses helped them to be more
mindful of discrimination in other classes as well as in
situations outside of the university, and that the courses have
taught them to use a more global perspective when viewing
society.
In this way they look at the effects certain issues
have on all women rather than just on the individual.
Women's Studies can have a profound impact on students, as
proclaimed by one student, "[Women's studies courses] have been
transforming in my academic career - by far they have been my
most enlightening and successful courses - there was always a lot
of discussion and interest raised in the classroom."
The Women and Gender studies Program was praised for its
30
programs and was viewed as a way to provide students with
positive female role models.
The services such as the lectures
and Women's Week activities have proven to be beneficial for
students because they offer diverse opportunities to learn.
Opportunities that cannot be found ih a classroom.
Along with the student surveys, faculty members who are
closely involved with the Women and Gender studies Program were
interviewed about their perceptions of the Women's studies minor
as well as the Women and Gender Studies Program (See Appendix C).
In defense of the criticisms made against Women's Studies, Ball
State faculty members disputed the claim that Women's Studies is
not academic and therefore does not belong in a university
setting by stating that the first priority of the program is an
academic one.
The goal is to educate students about women's
issues and about the ways that gender operates in society.
As a
secondary goal, the Women and Gender'Studies Program attempts to
provide students and faculty with social support and programs
that integrate their personal lives with their educational
experiences.
Placing a priority on academics does not
necessarily negate the importance of social issues.
Historically, the feminist movement has been social as well as
academic, which shows that the two can coincide, functioning
smoothly and efficiently together.
Often the Women's Studies
courses provide information that steers people to the Women and
Gender Studies office for support and assistance; thus, the two
do work in conjunction with each other.
31
Regarding the claim that Women's Studies is too political,
professors argued that it is impossible to separate the
intellectual from the political and that all academic disciplines
are political in that knowledge itself is value-laden with
political and ethical contents.
Because Women's Studies courses
are in essence an attempt to redefine history, it is by necessity
a political battle to keep the program alive.
This does not mean
that the issues explored in Women's Studies courses cannot be
presented in a fair and open-minded manner.
Men can be valuable assets to the Women's Studies program,
and they can benefit from the courses as well.
Although the
courses focus on women due to the fact that academic disciplines
have previously emphasized males and their accomplishments,
issues that affect men are also discussed.
Often Women's studies
courses may be even more challenging to men because they threaten
their longstanding dominant position in society, they question
the status quo, and they put males in the position of being the
minority.
Women's Studies attempts to dissolve the barriers that
have been erected by society through the stereotypes of men and
women.
This means that men would find the freedom to be more
open, more vulnerable, and more able to express emotions.
It is
important that men understand women and that they support
feminism.
Getting men involved in Women's Studies courses may
help to accomplish this goal.
From the perspective of faculty who teach Women's Studies
courses, the learning process is one that encourages individual
32
participation, respect for diversity, and egalitarianism.
Courses are taught in ways that allow for interaction between
faculty and students and among the students themselves.
They
provide an atmosphere in which the opinions of women are
respected and valued.
In this supportive environment, students are given more room
for discussion that is not often found in other courses, and they
are encouraged to think critically, explore questions, and take
control of their own learning.
Women's studies courses teach
students about life; provide them with a broader sense of
society, both its commonalities and its differences; and
enlighten them on the ways in which oppression works in today's
world.
Professors feel that there are several overriding benefits
students receive from the Women's Studies courses.
One benefit,
which stems from the relevancy the courses have to each woman's
own life, is that students learn about themselves as women.
Another important outcome is the sense of empowerment students
feel after having participated in Women's Studies courses.
In
general, students derive the most benefits from this part of the
program because it has such a dramatic impact on their lives, not
only in the university setting but also in the whole of society.
One professor commented that students who take Women's Studies
courses are never the same again.
Because of Women's Studies, universities along with the
entire educational system will never be the same again either.
33
In the past twenty years, there has been a transformation of
academics that will greatly affect the lives of both men and
women.
Education leads to power and freedom.
The knowledge that
students will receive in Women's studies courses will provide
women with a sense of empowerment that they have never before
experienced.
Also, men and women will be more able to free
themselves from the confines of masculine and feminine
stereotypes, and will hopefully find an escape from society's
traditional male and female role expectations.
Although Women's Studies still faces opposition, it
continues to grow steadily year by year and day by day.
There is
still work to be done in order to change the ways of our maledominated society, but Women's Studies courses have made a
remarkable dent in the process.
34
References
Musil, Caryn McTighe, ed.
(1992).
The courage To Question:
Learning.
The Executive Summary of
Women's Studies and Student
Washington, D.C.:
Association of American
Colleges.
(1991).
National Women's Studies Association.
the Profession:
Studies Maior.
A Report to
Liberal Learning and the Women's
National Women's Studies Association.
National Women '.s Studies Association.
(1990).
NWSA
Directory of Women's Studies Programs. Women's Centers.
and Research Centers.
Johnson, Rhoda E.
(1979).
Rich, Adrienne.
London:
(1988, Summer).
NWSAction,
~(2),
1.
On Lies. Secrets. and Silence.
Virago.
Schmitz, Betty
(1985).
Curriculum.
Integrating Women's Studies into the
Old Westbury, NY:
Spaid, Elizabeth Levitan.
The Feminist Press.
(1993, March 22).
"Women's
studies matures as an academic discipline."
The
Christian Science Monitor, 12.
stake, J.E. and Gerner, M.A.
experience:
and men.
(1987).
The women's studies
Personal and professional gains for women
Psychology of Women Ouarterly,
~,
277-284.
Subcommittee of the Association's Committee W on the Status of
Women in the Academic Profession.
August).
Reports:
studies.
Academe, 35-40.
(1989, July -
Valuing and devaluing women's
APPENDIX
Appendix A
Women and Gender Studies Program
Student Survey
1.
Are you aware of the Women and Gender Studies program at
Ball State?
2.
Do you know where the office is located?
3.
Please list any of the programs WGS has sponsored while you
have been at Ball state.
4.
Have you
provided
Have you
programs
5.
If so, have you personally benefitted from WGS and how?
not, why do you feel that it was not beneficial?
6.
What does WGS mean to you?
7.
Are you aware that Ball State offers a Women's Studies
minor?
8.
Have you ever taken a Women's Studies course? If so, which
courses and what were your reasons for doing so?
9.
Do you know anyone who is a Women's Studies minor or is
affiliated in any way with the Women and Gender Studies
office?
10.
ever taken advantage of any of the services
by the Women and Gender Studies office?
ever attended or participated in any of the
sponsored by the Women and Gender Studies office?
Do you favor or oppose Ball State having a Women & Gender
Studies program?
THANKS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION
If
Appendix B
Women's and Gender Studies Program
Graduating Minors survey
1.
What Wo:men's Studies courses have you taken?
2.
How did your Women's studies courses differ from courses you
have taken in other departments? How were they the same?
3.
Did the teaching style differ from other courses?
ways?
4.
How do you feel about the Women's Studies courses you have
taken?
5.
Would you say that you were encouraged to speak out in
class? Did you feel that your voice was being heard more so
than in other classes?
6.
Would you say that Women's Studies courses encourage
students to think for themselves, foster social
responsibility, and heighten awareness and promote
acceptance of diversity? Why or why not?
In what
7.
What did you feel were the strengths of Women's Studies
courses? What were the weaknesses?
8.
Why did you decide to choose Women's Studies as your minor?
Are you happy with your decision?
9.
How have your Women's Studies experiences affected you
personally?
10.
Do you actively participate in the programs sponsored by
the Women and Gender Studies office?
11.
Have you benefitted from the programs and services provided
by the Women and Gender Studies office? If so, how?
ANY OTHER COMMENTS YOU WOULD LIKE
TO MAKE WOULD BE APPRECIATED
THANKS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION
Appendix C
Faculty Interview Questions
1.
What do you feel are the goals of the Women & Gender Studies
program? Do academic goals take precedence over social
programs or vice versa? Should this be the case?
2.
Do you see the Women's Studies program as being
transitional (temporary - for the sole purpose of
mainstreaming into other departments), autonomous (as a
separate entity apart from other departments), or permanent
(involved in mainstreaming but will remain permanently to
deal areas that do not fit into other departments)?
Explain.
3.
Many opponents of Women's Studies claim that it is
political rather than intellectual. How would you respond
to that criticism? what role, if any, does politics play in
Women's Studies?
4.
How do you feel about men being involved in the Women &
Gender Studies program? How can they benefit and how can
they be beneficial?
5.
What is most distinctive about the learning process in
Women's studies courses and how do they differ from courses
in other disciplines?
6.
What impact do Women's Studies courses have on students as
individuals? on society as a whole?
7.
Do you feel that Women's Studies courses encourage students
to think for themselves? What would be the value of this?
8.
Do Women's Studies courses heighten awareness of difference
and diversity? If so, how do you feel this is accomplished?
9.
In what ways do Women's Studies courses foster social
responsibility?
10.
Overall, how do courses in Women's Studies compare to
courses in other departments? What makes them unique?
what ways are they similar?
In
11.
What are the advantages found in a Women's Studies learning
atmosphere?
12.
What do you feel is the one overriding benefit students
receive from participating in Women & Gender Studies
programs and/or Women's Studies courses?